Words In the Fog
by Kailor Aurelius
Summary: Setsuna is spending a stormy night alone, until an unexpected visitor arrives.


**I'm back :D Reviews are appreciated!**

The rain beat hard on her window. She listened to the roar of thunder outside and bundled herself into her blanket. The swordsman hummed quietly to herself. Tatsumiya had left a week before to visit friends in America. This was just another quiet night, alone.

Until the knock came.

Setsuna broke away from her staring contest with the raindrops on the window and quickly crossed to the door. Opening it, she felt her heart skip a beat.

Konoka stood there, soaked, panting, and smiling.

"Secchan." She made a move to hug her protector, but stopped, remembering she was dripping all over the carpet. Setsuna smiled and pulled the chocolate-haired princess into the room, hugging her quickly.

"What are you doing here? It's late. Why are you wet?" She fetched a towel and began to dry Konoka off.

"Asuna and Negi are training with Eva. I was watching but I got bored so I left. When I got to the dorms though, I realized I'd be alone all night." The princess pouted. "I don't like being alone. So I came here."

Setsuna opened her closet and bathroom door.

"Here. Take any clothes you want, go take a hot shower and you can stay over tonight." Konoka grinned happily and bounced into the closet. Setsuna curled up in her bean bag chair and turned on the tv. Her heart was still pounding a few minutes later when she heard the shower come on.

She hadn't expected company tonight and definitely not from the one person she had trouble keeping her composure around. It had been a long time since she and Konoka had a sleepover. Things had changed. She had changed. Over the past few years of watching the young healer from the shadows, she had grown fond of her charge. In more ways than friendship. Now, when Konoka was near, her heart raced, all the moisture disappeared from her mouth and somehow appeared in her palms, and she couldn't concentrate on anything but the way Konoka moved, talked, smiled, laughed.

Her mind lost in romance and worry, she didn't notice the shower turn off.

Konoka stepped out of the bathroom, feeling much warmer. Steam still wafted from her skin. She smiled as she saw Setsuna's hair over the back of the bean bag chair. Crouching behind it she hugged the swordsman. Setsuna's gasp thrilled her. It was always a pleasure to catch the serious Setsuna off guard.

"Hello." She murmured, nuzzling Setsuna's caramel-scented hair.

"Hi." Setsuna whispered back, red as flame.

"How are you?" Konoka giggled.

"F-fine. Well, better than fine." Konoka raised an eyebrow.

"Really now? Good! Me too." She hopped over the bean bag chair into Setsuna's lap. "You know, you're very cute when you blush." Setsuna blushed harder and sat stiffly, eyes on the tv. Konoka nuzzled into her best friend and lightly ran her fingers up and down Setsuna's neck.

"W-w-what are you doing, Ojou-sama?" Setsuna's voice trembled.

"Relaxing you."

Setsuna decided to keep it to herself that the healer's soft touch was doing everything BUT relaxing her. She forced her attention back to the tv.

A few minutes later the healer's hand stopped moving, her breath slowed. Setsuna looked down. She was asleep.

The swordsman smiled and made to stand in order to carry the healer to bed. After much struggling to free herself and the extra weight from the bean bag chair she managed to find her feet and balance Konoka in her arms. She crossed the few feet between them and the bed and gently laid the healer in it. She looked so peaceful in sleep. So sweet. So perfect.

So incredibly beautiful.

Thunder roared outside the window and lightning shot across the sky. She pressed her forehead against the cold glass of the window and watched the little streaks of water run down the panes. Behind her the healer's quiet breathing continued, broken every now and then by mumbling.

Setsuna took a deep breath and let it out. Fog crept across the glass where her breath hit. She raised a hand and in the fog wrote, "_I love you but I don't know how to tell you."_

"Well, that works." Setsuna jumped. Konoka was sitting up in the bed, staring straight at the words she had written in the fog. "Tell the one you love like that. It's cute." She slid off the mattress and joined the swordsman at the window. "Who's that for?"

Setsuna blushed and shook her head.

"I-uh-I mean."

"Write it in the fog." Konoka ran her hand across the window, wiping away the original message. Then she breathed across the surface again, leaving fresh fog.

Setsuna looked into the healer's chocolate eyes. Time to take the plunge. She couldn't take the risk of writing someone else's name, and losing Konoka forever. Maybe, just maybe there was a chance…maybe.

She raised her hand to the glass. "_Y"_

"Yuna? I didn't know you were into basketball players, Secchan." Konoka winked and giggled.

"_O"_

"Yoyos?" Setsuna stuck her tongue at the healer and slowly dragged her finger across the glass to create the last letter.

"_U"_

She stepped away and shoved her hands into her pockets, eyes on the floor. Konoka was silent for a few moments. The swordsman's heart raced, her mind screamed at her for being so bold, and she bit her lip.

Konoka's hand touched her shoulder.

She looked up.

Konoka's soft lips met hers. The world froze. The rain ceased. The thunder died. The lightning was no longer outside but in the room, in her heart, in their kiss.

Her heart skipped several beats like a scratched cd.

Konoka pulled away.

Rain pounded on the window. Lightning chased another thunder clap.

Setsuna gazed down at the healer, shocked, ecstatic, and breathless.

"I love you too." Konoka's quiet whisper was louder than the thunder to Setsuna's ears.

This time it was the Setsuna who kissed the healer.

The fog on the window slowly faded behind them, leaving a barely visible word on the drenched pane.

"_You."_


End file.
